Railway enthusiasts gather to celebrate landmark anniversary of age of steam

Rail enthusiasts gathered in Leeds throughout Saturday and yesterday to honour the Middleton Railway’s vital role in Yorkshire’s industrial heritage. The line was built in 1758, after the first ever Act of Parliament of its kind was passed to allow horse-drawn wagons to travel over Hunslet Moor on tracks. On June 24, 1812, a steam haulage system designed by John Blenkinsop, of Middleton Colliery, and by Matthew Murray, of Fenton, Murray and Wood, began operations, hauling coal from a mine to the River Aire.

Leeds then emerged as a world-leader in designing steam locomotives and nearby Hunslet was transformed into a square-mile of eight different foundries, all producing engines that were shipped across the globe.

The railway was used to transport coal until the 1960s when the National Coal Board abandoned it and the line was taken over by the Middleton Railway Trust. A daily freight service continued until the 1970s, when it was decided to offer it up as a heritage railway to passengers. The trust now has about 200 members and 70 volunteers.

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